Apparatus for mechanically cleaning door frames of horizontal coke ovens



1968 H. SPINDELER 3,398,416

APPARATUS FOR MECHANICALLY CLEANING DOOR FRAMES OF HORIZONTAL COKE OVENS Filed Sept. 8, 1965 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 TTTTH H H A IIHH I nlll Aug. 27, 1968 H. SPINDELER APPARATUS FOR MECHANICALLY CLEANING DOOR FRAMES OF HORIZONTAL COKE OVENS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1965 Aug. 27, 1968 H. SPINDELER APPARATUS FOR MECHANICALLY CLEANING DOOR FRAMES OF HORIZONTAL COKE OVENS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 8, 1965 ill...

6 Z a g Aug. 27, 1968 H. SPINDELER 3,398,416

APPARATUS FOR MECHANICALLY CLEANING DOOR FRAMES Filed Sept. 8, 1965 OF HORIZONTAL COKE OVENS 6 Sheets$heet 4 W /4 J a Aug. 27, 1968 H. SPINDELER 3,393,415

APPARATUS FOR MECHANICALLY CLEANING DOOR FRAMES 0F HORIZONTAL COKE OVENS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 8, 1965 Aug. 27, 1968 H. SPINDELER 3,398,416

APPARATUS FOR MECHANICALLY CLEANING DOOR FRAMES OF HORIZONTAL COKE OVENS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 8, 1965 Q R Q Q, w

United States Patent 12 Claims. (or. 15-93 The present invention relates to a device for mechanically cleaning door frames of horizontal coke ovens.

The so-called self-sealing of an oven door of chamber ovens for producing gas and coke is based on the finding that at a sealing edge engaging a plane frame surface, gas condensates deposit which bring about a gas-tight seal. The functioning of this seal depends on the requirement that, at the sealing edge, a temperature prevail at which condensates form. Thus, the temperature of the edge must not be too high, but, on the other hand must not be so low that the tar-containing condensates will immediately harden. Only at a certain paste-like condition of the condensates will a safe seal be obtained. These conditions bring about that after removal of the door, fouling or soil accumulations are present on the frame and sealing edge which have to be removed thoroughly from time to time if a reliable plane parallel engagement of the sealing edge with the frame is to be assured.

In view of the height of modern coke ovens which, as a rule amounts to from 13 to 16 feet, and in individual cases may even reach 20 feet, the removal of the formed crust-like fouling by hand causes considerable difiiculties inasmuch as the cleaning tools have to be employed over a correspondingly long period.

Mechanical cleaning devices are known for cleaning the sealing edge of the door as well as for cleaning the door frame. These heretofore known cleaning devices, however, are either too complicated in structure or too difiicult and time-consuming in use.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a device for cleaning door frames, which is simple in construction and can be moved onto the door frame in the direction of the oven axis.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device as set forth in the preceding paragraph, which may be arranged selectively either on the coke side or on the pusher side of the coke oven and may be mounted on those vehicles which are moved alongside the coke oven block and which carry means for lifting off and remounting the oven door.

It is another object of this invention to provide a device for cleaning the door frames of coke ovens, which will be able to clean within a few seconds that door frame surface which is located in the vertical plane of the door frame and which is engaged by the sealing edge of the door, as well as the side surfaces of the door which extend into the oven chamber.

A still further object of this invention consists in so designing a device of the above-mentioned type that it can be pressed under the required pressure against the door frame while the magnitude of the pressure may be variable.

It is still another object of this invention to so design a device of the above-mentioned type that the proper working position of the cleaning tools will be assured also when the shape of the door frame has somewhat changed in view of thermal effects.

Still another object of this invention consists in the provision of a device for cleaning door frames of coke ovens, in which the proper working position of the clean ing tools will be assured also when the position of the device is not in complete alignment with the position of 3,398,416 Patented Aug. 27, 1968 "ice the door frame because the vehicle carrying the device and movable along the oven block was not moved precisely into a position in which the direction of movement of the device coincides with the axis of the oven.

These and other objects and advantages of the inven tion will appear more clearly from the following specifica tion in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURES 1 and 1a respectively illustrate a side view and a plan view of the oven head and the cleaning device according to the present invention, and more specifically at a time at which the device is still spaced from the door frame to be cleaned;

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the cleaning device according to the present invention as seen along the line IIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross-section along the line IIIIII of FIGURE 1 through the cleaning device according to the invention and the oven head, on a larger scale than that of FIGS. 1, la and 2, and, more specifically at a time at which the cleaning device has been moved onto the door frame;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal section on the same scale as FIG. 3 along the line IV-IV of FIGURE 1 and shows the cleaning device according to the invention during its entry movement;

FIGURE 5 is a cutout of FIGURE 1 on :a larger scale than the latter, and shows a view as seen from the oven, of the upper part of the grate [forming an important element of the device according to the present invention;

FIG. 5a is a side view of FIG. 5;

FIGURE 6 shows a view as seen from the oven of the lower portion of the grate on a larger scale than that of FIGURE 1;

FIG. 6a is a side view of FIG. 6;

FIGURE 7 is a partial side view as seen in the direction of the arrow VII in FIG. 1a of elements for cleaning those side surfaces of the door frame which extend into the oven chamber;

FIGURE 7a shows a top view of the cleaning elements of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 8 is a horizontal section through a portion of a somewhat modified cleaning device according to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there may first be set forth the problem underlying the present invention. FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrate the shape and position of a metallic door frame 32 on the oven head. The reference numeral 31 designates the anchor stands, while the reference numeral 36 designates the oven chamber. Door frame 32 has a sealing surface 33 extending all the way around and stepped toward the inside. It is this sealing surface 33 which is to be engaged by a sealing edge of the oven door (not shown) for purposes of effecting a tight engagement between said sealing surface and said sealing edge of the door. The front surface 34 of door frame 32 projects relative to surface 33 as seen in FIG. 3. The side surfaces 35 of the frame which extend into the oven chamber taper toward the rear. There are furthermore, provided latching hooks 43 for cooperation with locks of the door. Said hooks serve for firmly clamping said door against the frame.

One of the foremost requirements for effecting a proper seal consists in making the sealing surface 33 perfectly plane so that the sealing edge of the door will have its front plane edge in contact with the frame for a gas-tight engagement with the frame. During the coking operation, tar condensates deposit on said sealing edge, and also on the sealing surface 33 there will collect crustations which have to be removed from time to time. Such crustations, which can reach a considerable thickness, also collect on the interior surface 35 of the frame.

The invention consists primarily in that grates are employed which represent a plane cleaning surface shaped in conformity with the surface to be cleaned of the door frame. The mesh of the grates preferably has the shape of a rhombus or diamond of which one diagonal is vertical while the width of the mesh measured along said diagonal amounts to approximately 2". The grates for cleaning the sealing surface 33 are designated with the reference numerals 13, 23 and 24. The shape of these grates is best seen from FIGS. 2, 5 and 6. These grates are subjected to a lifting and lowering movement while their front face is subjected to sufiicient pressure and engages the surface to be cleaned of the door frame. It has been found that grates of this type have the property to grind oif in the manner of a knife not only hard crustations, but that also during the oscillation of the grates, plane ground mesh webs remove also such deposits which have not yet reached a pasty stage. The mesh webs of the grates bring about a shaving action, and by the reciprocatory movement of the grates, the material still in pasty condition will be kept in a rolling movement within the grate apertures. As a result of the shaving, rolling, and beating action, balls form from the still plastic condensate residues, and these balls drop out toward the rear toward the open grate side. For purposes of cleaning the side surface 35 of door frame 32 which extend into the furnace chamber 36, instead of grates, angleshaped wedge shavers 14 are provided, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4. These angle-shaped shavers taper toward the tip and are adapted to spring slightly in the direction perpendicular to the side surface. Therefore, if strong crustations have collected on the inner surface, said angle shavers can escape in a slightly resilient manner. As to the angle of the inclination, these wedge shavers are shaped in conformity with the inner surface of the door frame. Thus, also with strong deposits said angle shavers will assure a gradual penetration of the cleaning tools into the deposited crustations.

The vertical grates 24 and the lower transverse grate 13 as well as the upper transverse grate 23 and the angle shavers 14 are connected to a grate support which is formed by a U-shaped structural iron member 11. Said grate support extends over practically the entire height of the door frame when the device is in working position. FIGS. 3 to 8 will explain how the connection between the grate support 11 and the individual cleaning elements 13, 14, 23 and 24 is formed while such connection may be rigid as well as yieldable and adjustable.

Grate support 11 is by means of a universal joint 16 (FIG. 2) connected to the piston rod 20 of a cylinder piston system 22. The upper end of cylinder piston system 22 is by means of a universal joint 26 journalled in a vertical frame 15 which comprises primarily an I-shaped structural member. By means of holding plates 21, frame 15 is connected to a supporting bar 18 which forms the movable support for the device. Supporting bar 18 is movable in the direction of the oven axis. To this end a cylinder piston system is provided which is adapted to be connected to a vehicle (not illustrated), and its piston rod 37 is adapted to actuate supporting bar 18. The respective vehicle may be formed, for instance, by the customary coke discharging machine or by a carriage movable on the coke side, which carriage carries the customary device for lifting the door and the grate for guiding the coke cake while the latter is being pressed. Cylinder 22 and piston rod 20 are adapted to impart upon the cleaning tools, viz. grates and angle shavers, the necessary lifting and lowering movements. In order to be able to subject the cleaning tools to the necessary pressure, pressure springs may be provided the axes of which are substantially perpendicular to the surfaces to be cleaned. However, for this purpose also pressure operable cylinder piston means may be provided. An embodiment of the first type is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 8, whereas the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrates horizontal cylinder piston systems for producing the necessary pressure.

The upper cylinder 12 and lower cylinder 19 are journalled in supporting frame 15. The said two cylinders 12, 19 have respectively reciprocably mounted therein two pistons 29 which support bearings 28 for a pair of wheels 27. Wheels 27 move back and forth in vertical rails 25 mounted on the outside of U-shaped structural member 11. By subjecting cylinders 12 and 19 to the influence of a pressure medium, the grate support maybe moved back and forth in the direction of the oven axis toward and away from the door frame, and the necessary pressure may be exerted upon the cleaning tools so that the latter will press at the desired pressure against the surfaces to be cleaned.

In order to secure the position of the cleaning tools, the vertical frame 15 is provided with abutment members 30 arranged laterally on frame 15, as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. These abutment members place themselves in front of the somewhat protruding side surfaces 34 of the door frame. FIG. 3 shows the arrangement at a time at which the abutment members 30 have already been pushed in front of surfaces 34, while cylinders 12 and 19 have not yet been actuated, so that the cleaning tools 13, 14, 23 and 24 are still spaced from the surfaces to be cleaned of the door frame.

In order to assure a safe movement of the grate support into the opening of the furnace chamber, on both sides and at the level of latching hook 43, the protruding ends of the legs of U-shaped structural member 11 have welded thereto holding members 44 supporting guiding members 45 which protrude laterally and have crowned heads. FIG. 4 shows the cleaning device according to the invention during its movement into the oven at a time period during which the guiding members 45 pass by the latching hooks 43. According to FIG. 4, the cleaning tools and the grate support 11 are located precisely centrically with regard to the oven axis. In view of the arrangement of the guiding members 45 and the universal joint suspension of cylinder 22 and piston rod 20 on the vertical frame 15 and grate support 11, even with certain deviations from the symmetric position, it is possible to adapt the location of the cleaning tools to the door frame.

For protection against radiation, the device is furthermore provided with a screen 17 which may consist of heat insulating or heat-reflecting material and may be suspended directly on the vertical frame .15.

In order to assure an adjustable connection between grate support 11 on one hand and grates 13, 23 and 24 on the other hand, the grates are arranged on holding plates 39. These holding plates (FIG. 3) are provided with oblong openings through which extend the shanks of clamping screws 40. The legs of U-shaped structural member 11 have mounted thereon counter-bearings 41 having journalled therein threaded adjusting screws 42. Adjusting screws 42 are adapted to act upon the back surface of holding plates 39 and thus permit a displacement of the grates. In the desired position, the location of the grates may be adjusted by means of screws 40 over the entire circumference of the frame. By employing a greater number of pressure screws 42 over the height of the grate support, it is possible to determine the shape of the front surface of the grates in a certain manner. However, if desired, these front surfaces serving as cleaning tool may be designed plane. If desired, these front surfaces may deviate from a plane extension, within certain limits. In this way, certain deviations can be taken into consideration and be compensated for, which deviations may have been created in the sealing surface of door frame 32, for instance in view of thermal tensions.

1f the cleaning tools are pressed against the cleaning surface by means of horizontal cylinder piston systems 12, 19, a completely plane front surface of the grates will suffice when the frame surface itself has undergone certain changes thereover. If this front surface of the metallic frame has a certain unevenness, while the front surface of the grates is completely even or plane, it is obvious that certain depressions in the frame front surface will, within the course of time be filled with tar residues which will gradually form crustations. Inasmuch as the front surface of the frame is again and again acted upon by the grates, plane surfaces will form here which will bring about a reliable contact with the sealing edge. A tight seal of th oven chamber will thus be assured.

Instead of pressing the cleaning tools against the surface to be cleaned by means of pressure cylinders, the said pressure may also be effected by springs the axes of which are approximately perpendicular to the surface to be cleaned of the door frames. Such a design of the grate support is shown in FIG. 8. Also in this instance, the grates 24 are arranged on holding plates 39 which are provided with oblong holes 53. Shanks of screws 40 extend through holes 53. The holding members 39 have angledoif bearing members 49 with a protruding stud on which there is arranged a helical spring 50; A cup 48 forms the counter-bearing for spring 50. Cup 48 is adjustable by means of an adjusting screw 47. Adjusting screw 47 is provided with a thread by means of which it is guided in a support 46 connected to the legs of the U-shaped structural member 11. In this way, an adjustable pressure can be exerted upon grates 24 by means of a spring.

In a similar manner it is also possible to exert a spring pressure upon angle wedge shavers 14. Said shavers 14 are mounted on holding plates 51 provided with oblong holes 53 through which extend the shanks of clamping screws 52. Also holding members 51 are provided with angled-off bearing parts 54. Said bearing parts 54 are acted upon by one end vof springs 55 the other ends of which rest in cups 56. The spacing between cups 56 may be varied by a pair of adjusting screws which are guide in opposite direction in a threaded tube 57.

Operation of the arrangement of FIGS. 1 t0 7 There may now be described the moving in and out and the cleaning operation of the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 7. After the oven door has been removed and the oven has been emptied, the carriage carrying the device according to the present invention is moved so as to align the cleaning device of the invention with the axis of the oven chamber. If new the cylinder piston system 10 is actuated, the grate support arranged on frame gradually moves into the oven. During this operation, the guiding members 45 pass by the latching hooks 43. If the cleaning device is not precisely aligned with the oven axis, the guiding members 45 bring about an adjustment of the grate support 11 with regard to the inwardly moving frame 15 the position of which otherwise remains unchanged. Such an adjustment is possible in view of the universal suspension of the grate support. This suspension permits an inclination of the grate support with regard to the vertically stationarily arranged frame. Cylinder 22 is then able to turn with piston rod so that the grate support can move in all directions. In this way, it is possible to take into consideration certain deviations which occurred during the operation of the coke oven installation, viz. a deviation from the proper location of the track for the servicing vehicles or a deviation of the door frame from the front edge of the oven. The universal joint connection at the upper and lower ends of the cylinder piston system which serves for upward and downward moving of the grate support with the grates and angle shavers thereof also permits a translatory movement of the grate support relative to the vertical frame and, more specifically, transversely with regard to the chamber axis in a plane parallel to the sealing surface of the door frame.

When further moving the device in the direction toward the oven, the abutment members 30 abut against surface 34 of the frame. This position, as already mentioned before, is illustrated in FIG. 3. At this instant, the grates will not yet engage the surfaces to be cleaned. At this instant, the cylinder-piston 10 is stopped, and the pressure exerting cylinders 12 and 19 are subjected to pressure. The grate support has thus been moved forwardly to such an extent that the grates 13, 23 and 24 and angle shaver 14 engage the surfaces to be cleaned. At the same time, cylinder 22 is actuated. By means of a control mechanism or manually operable valves, the movement of piston 20 is reversed after the lifting or lowering operation.

After a few upward and downward movements of the cleaning tools, the cleaning operation is completed. The condensate particles which enter the grate apertures, form ball-shaped bodies and soon drop out of the apertures. After completed cleaning operation, first grate support 10 is withdrawn by corresponding actuation of cylinder piston systems 12, 19 whereupon the entire device is withdrawn from the servicing range by means of cylinder piston system 19.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular arrangement shown in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for cleaning the door frame of 'a coke oven, especially horizontal chamber oven, which includes: a frame structure movable toward and away from a coke oven door frame to be cleaned, scraping means in the form of relatively rigid grate means disposed in a plane parallel to the plane of said door frame, said grate means having a plurality of substantially rhombic apertures therethrough whereby a plurality of scraping edges are formed on the grate means, said scraping means being supported by said frame structure and being guided thereonfor reciprocation bodily in a substantially vertical plane on said frame structure a distance equal to at least the height of a grate aperture, and actuating means on said frame structure operatively connected to said scraping means for substantially vertically reciprocating the scraping means on said frame structure, said scraping means having the same width as the region to be cleaned thereby while being of such height as to permit vertical movement thereof while in engagement with the door frame to be cleaned.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which one diagonal of each aperture extends in vertical direction and has a length of approximately 3".

3. An apparatus for cleaning the door frame of a coke oven, which includes: a frame structure movable selectively toward and away from a coke oven door frame to be cleaned, scraping means in the form of relatively rigid grate means with a plurality of substantially rhombic apertures therethrough adapted to be reciprocated bodily while engaging the door frame to be cleaned for scraping the door frame, supporting means supporting said scraping means and supportingly guided on said frame structure for reciprocation thereon in a substantially vertical plane, and means connected between said supporting means and said frame structure and operable to vertically reciprocate said supporting means thereby to effect the said bodily reciprocation of said scraping means, said scraping means having the same width as the region to be cleaned thereby while being of such height as to permit vertical movement thereof while in engagement with the door frame to be cleaned.

4. An apparatus for cleaning the door frame of a coke oven, especially horizontal chamber oven, which includes: a frame structure movable selectively toward and away from a coke oven door to be cleaned, relatively rigid grate-shaped scraping means confining a plurality of substantially rhombic apertures therethrough whereby a plurality of scraping edges are formed on the grate means for scraping the door frame, supporting means supporting said scraping means and guided thereon for reciprocation bodily in a substantially vertical plane, said grate means having limited movement on said support means in the horizontal direction while being prevented from vertical movement thereon, pressure exerting means supported by said frame structure and continuously urging said support means in a direction away from said frame structure and "toward the door to be cleaned, and means connected betweensaid supporting means and said frame structure structure and said supporting means, said fluid operable cylinder piston means having the axis thereof substantially perpendicularly arranged with regard to the direction of substantially vertical reciprocatory movement of said scraping means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which said pressure exerting means include pressure springs.

7. An apparatus for cleaning the door frame of a coke oven, especially horizontal chamber oven, which includes: a frame structure movable selectively toward and away from a coke oven door to be cleaned, grate-shaped scraping means confining a plurality of apertures therethrough for scraping the door frame to be cleaned, supporting means supporting said scraping means and extending in a substantially vertical plane for reciprocation in said plane, rail means connected to said supporting means and extending in longitudinal direction of said supporting means while facing said frame structure, roller means supported by said frame structure for rolling engagement with said rail means, and means connected to said supporting means and to said frame structure and operable to substantially vertically reciprocate said supporting means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 4, which includes abutment means connected to said frame structure and projecting therefrom toward the door to be cleaned and adapted for engagement with the oven door to be cleaned prior to said scraping means engaging the oven door to be cleaned.

9. An apparatus for cleaning the door frame of a coke oven according to claim 3 which includes: adjusting means supported by said supporting means and associated with said scraping means operable for selectively adjusting the scraping means on said support means in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of reciprocatory movement of said support means and scraping means.

10. An apparatus for cleaning the door frame of a coke oven, especially horizontal chamber oven, which includes: a frame structure movable selectively toward and away from a coke oven door frame to be cleaned, scraping means in the form of grate means confining a plurality of apertures therethrough for scraping the door frame to be cleaned, supporting means supporting said scraping means and reciprocable in a substantially vertical plane, cylinder piston means interposed between said frame structure and said supporting means for reciprocating the latter, and universal joint means respectively connecting one portion of said cylinder piston means to said frame structure and another portion of said cylinder piston means to said supporting means.

11. An apparatus according to claim 3, which includes guiding means with crowned outer surface, said guiding means being arranged on opposite sides of said supporting means and adapted for engagement with means stationary with the door frame to be cleaned to thereby align said scraping means relative to the door frame to be cleaned.

12. An apparatus for cleaning the door frame of a coke oven according to claim 3, which includes: second scraping means supported by said supporting means and extending forwardly of said supporting means to beyond said grate means for cleaning the inner surface of the door frame to be cleaned, said secondscraping means tapering in a direction away from said support'mg means and having those surfaces thereof which face the inner surface of the door frame to be cleaned tapering in conformity with said inner surfaces of the door to be cleaned.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,115,655 12/1963 Bowman 15-93 3,146,475 9/1964 Balitsky ct al. 1593 3,199,135 8/1965 Tucker 15-93 CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE DOOR FRAME OF A COKE OVER, ESPECIALLY HORIZONTAL CHAMBER OVEN, WHICH INCLUDES: A FRAME STRUCTURE MOVABLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM A COKE OVEN DOOR FRAME TO BE CLEANED, SCRAPING MEANS IN THE FORM OF RELATIVELY RIGID GRATE MEANS DISPOSED IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE PLANE TO SAID DOOR FRAME, SAID GRATE MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY RHOMBIC APERTURES THERETHROUGH WHEREBY A PLURALITY OF SCRAPING EDGES ARE FORMED ON THE GRATE MEANS, SAID SCRAPING MEANS BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME STRUCTURE AND BEING GUIDED THEREON FOR RECIPROCATION BODILY IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL PLANE ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE A DISTANCE EQUAL TO AT LEAST THE HEIGHT OF A GRATE APERTURE, AND ACTUATING MEANS ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SCRAPING MEANS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY RECIPROCATING THE SCRAPING MEANS ON SAID FRAME STRUCTURE, SAID SCRAPING MEANS HAVING THE SAME WIDTH AS THE REGION TO BE CLEANED THEREBY WHILE BEING OF SUCH HEIGHT AS TO PERMIT VERTICAL MOVEMENT THEREOF WHILE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE DOOR FRAME TO BE CLEANED. 